PAW Patrol
PAW Patrol is a Canadian animated television series created by Bob the Builder originator Keith Chapman. It is produced by Spin Master Entertainment with animation provided by Guru Studio. In Canada, the series is primarily broadcast on TVOKids, which first ran previews of the show in August 2013. The series first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on August 12, 2013. The series focuses on a boy named Ryder who leads a pack of rescue dogs known as the PAW Patrol. They work together on missions to protect the shoreside community of Adventure Bay. Each dog has a specific set of skills based on a real-life profession. For example, Marshall has the abilities of a firefighter and Chase's responsibilities are similar to those of a police officer. They all reside in doghouses that can transform into customized vehicles when necessary. They are also equipped with backpacks called "pup packs" that contain tools. Spin Master has developed the show into a media franchise and released an ongoing line of toys based on it. PAW Patrol toy sales have generated millions of dollars in revenue for the corporation and increased Spin Master's presence in the preschool toy market.Damon van der Linde (May 16, 2016). "PAW Patrol has Spin Master on a roll as earnings exceed analyst expectations". Financial Post. Sun Media. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Despite the commercial success of the show, critical reception has been mixed. Several critics have called attention to its unequal gender representation because the team of dogs is primarily male. The show, and its associated products, have received a variety of awards and nominations from associations such as the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Format Each episode of PAW Patrol follows a similar pattern and features recurring themes. Episodes normally open with a scene depicting the dogs going about their everyday lives, often playing with dog toys or engaging in activities at the local playground. Ryder, a ten-year-old boy, is advised of a problem by receiving a call for help or by witnessing a situation himself. His most frequent caller is an accident-prone marine biologist named Cap'n Turbot, who knows much about the Adventure Bay community. Ryder always alerts the dogs via their blinking pet tags. The team members report to their base, the Lookout, and enter its elevator. Marshall typically arrives last causing a humorous mishap that makes the other dogs laugh as the elevator rises. When they reach the top floor, they arrange themselves in a line. Chase announces that the team is ready for action as Ryder tells the pups what has happened. He chooses several members of the team, normally two first responders, to help solve whatever problem has emerged. They ride a slide down to their vehicles and complete their mission. When they have finished, Ryder says his catchphrase: "Whenever you're in trouble, just yelp for help!" and congratulates the dogs. Episodes Main article: List of PAW Patrol episodes Series overview Production According to Spin Master, the concept for PAW Patrol stemmed from a prototype for a transforming truck toy."Spin Master Mgmt Roadshow Presentation 2015" (PDF). Spin Master. July 2, 2015. After developing a relationship with Nickelodeon, Spin Master approached British television producer Keith Chapman to "invent a franchise" based on their model. The PAW Patrol plot was ultimately based on one of Chapman's ideas."PAW Patrol - Production and Digital". Guru Studio. The company hired toy designers to develop the format further; after the concept was in place, they began designing merchandise."Hollywood helps make Southern California center of toy universe". Daily Breeze. Digital First Media. November 26, 2014. Nickelodeon first announced that it had picked up PAW Patrol at the 2013 Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada."Top Entertainment Brands Take Part in Licensing Expo". PR Newswire. April 22, 2013. The series became Spin Master's first solely-owned intellectual property (IP)"Spin Master Bows First Preschool IP". License! Global. August 1, 2013 – via HighBeam. once it was released in August 2013."Spin Master Plans 'PAW Patrol' Tour". License! Global. July 23, 2015. Since it began production the show's animation has been provided by Guru Studio. In a 2016 interview with Maclean's Magazine, Guru president Frank Falcone stated that his studio's animators were originally suspicious of the show's "toyetic" concept.Weinman, Jaime (March 20, 2016). "What's not to love about PAW Patrol—if you're a kid?". Maclean's. Rogers Media. The series' rock-inspiredBryson, Carey. "PAW Patrol - TV Show Review for Parents". About.com. original score was composed by the Ontario-based group Voodoo Highway Music & Post. The opening theme song, and the ending song used in each episode include vocals performed by Scott Simons. With each season's series, new supporting characters and themes are introduced in its episodes. In a May 2016 interview for the Toronto Star, Spin Master president Ben Gadbois stated that his company would continue to introduce additional characters and concepts to increase the franchise's longevity and to expand upon the success of tie-in merchandise.Stevenson, Verity (May 12, 2016). "PAW Patrol drives Toronto toy firm's profits". Toronto Star. Star Media Group. In August of the same year, Spin Master co-founder Ronnen Harary explained that these changes were intended to keep the show's content "fresh" and "relevant"."Page 32 - Spin Master Corp. Fiscal 2016 Third Quarter Results Conference Call" (PDF). Spin Master. November 9, 2016. The first season aired from August 12, 2013, to August 18, 2014. The second season aired from August 13, 2014, to December 4, 2015. A third season premiered on November 20, 2015. Spin Master has confirmed that fourth and fifth seasons are in development, with the former set for a 2017 release."Page 18 - Spin Master Corp. Fiscal 2016 Second Quarter Results Conference Call" (PDF). Spin Master. August 5, 2016. Merchandise On May 18, 2014, Spin Master introduced a toy line based on the television series at Toys "R" Us locations across Canada.Dickson, Jeremy (May 15, 2014). "PAW Patrol toy line hits Toys 'R' Us". Kidscreen. The line wasn't distributed to international markets until June 22 of the same year.Griffin, Rachel; Brown, Heather (May 14, 2014). "Spin Master to Launch Its Highly Anticipated PAW Patrol Toy Line at Toys "R" Us". Spin Master (Press release). Dion Vlachos, a representative from Nickelodeon, was in charge of the U.S. product launch.Milligan, Mercedes (August 8, 2016). "Nickelodeon Ups Dion Vlachos to EVP Retail". Animation Magazine. PAW Patrol has since become one of Spin Master's most profitable brands. Analysts for the National Bank of Canada reported that toys and games based on the show accounted for approximately $245 million U.S. (or 25 per cent) of Spin Master's gross product sales for 2015. Spin Master chairman Anton Rabie noted in August 2016 that the "continuing strength" of PAW Patrol toys, in addition to new acquisitions and movie licenses, made up 40.5 per cent of the firm's second quarter revenue."Spin Master Reports Strong Q2 2016 Financial Results". KFMB-TV. August 8, 2016. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Marketing manager Emma Eden said that the toys were responsible for increasing the company's presence in the preschool market.Burke, Jade (May 10, 2016). "Spin Master sees 'huge momentum' for PAW Patrol toy line". Licensing.biz. NewBay Media. Throughout 2016, Spin Master's revenue grew more in this market than in any other toy category. PAW Patrol has been cited as the sole reason for this.Muller, Lutz (April 18, 2016). "Spin Master - An Interesting Performance". Seeking Alpha. The NPD Group named PAW Patrol the top new toy brand of 2015 in the United Kingdom.Smithers, Rebecca (November 4, 2015). "The top Christmas toys for 2015: will you pick PAW Patrol or Pie Face?". The Guardian. The group also reported that it was the best-selling preschool license in France in the first quarter of 2015.Yvernault, Véronique (May 20, 2015). "Licences : Gare à la Pat'Patrouille !". Libre Service Actualités (in French). Dave Brandon, the chief executive officer of Toys "R" Us, listed the PAW Patroller vehicle toy as one of the 2015 holiday season's "hottest" items.Bergeron, Tom (November 23, 2015). "Jersey's own toy story: New CEO Dave Brandon talks shopping, shipping and how he aims to change Toys R Us". NJ Biz.Miller, Ted (September 9, 2015). "Toys R Us declares hottest 15 toys of the holiday season". WBAY-TV. Media General. Argos the U.K. catalogue retailer included the Paw Patrol Air Patroller vehicle on its list of the toys it predicts will be bestsellers during the Christmas 2016 season.Packham, Amy (June 16, 2016). "Top Argos Toys for Christmas 2016: Predictions of Bestselling Toys Released". The Huffington Post. Verizon Communications. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Live events In April 2016, a stage show titled "PAW Patrol: Race to the Rescue" was announced."Nickelodeon's PAW Patrol Is On a Roll with First-Ever Live Tour". Business Wire (Press release). Berkshire Hathaway. April 12, 2016. It will tour Canada, the United States, and Mexico. It debuted on October 29, 2016, at the Old National Events Plaza in Evansville, Indiana."Nickelodeon's PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue". Old National Events Plaza. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Mascots based on the PAW Patrol characters have appeared at events across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. They joined an "Etch A Sketch Day" celebration at Spin Master's office in Toronto on July 26, 2016.Tucker, Tara (July 12, 2016). "Spin Master attempts a Guinness World Records title in celebration of Etch A Sketch Day". CNW Group. Cision. The characters, along with replicas of the Lookout tower from the program, were included as part of the Nick Jr. Play Date Tour in autumn 2015."Nick Jr. Play Date Tour comes to Westfield Trumbull". Trumbull Times. October 11, 2015. Marshall and Chase made appearances at shopping malls throughout Nottingham, Suffolk, and Somerset in the U.K. in the summer of 2016."PAW Patrol is coming to Bridgwater". Bridgwater Mercury. July 15, 2016. Multiple meet-and-greet events attracted far more attendees than expected, with some reaching over 5,000 visitors."5,000 people visit White Post Farm to meet PAW Patrol's Chase and Marshall". Nottingham Post. Local World. April 2, 2016."Hundreds queue to see PAW Patrol stars". itv.com. ITV plc. April 1, 2016. They appeared for the first time in Northern Ireland at Glenarm Castle on July 13, 2016.Stewart, Linda (July 13, 2016). "PAW Patrol stars set to rock Glenarm Castle on night of music and display". Belfast Telegraph. Independent News & Media. They're scheduled to appear regularly in a Nickelodeon-themed area of the Thurrock's Lakeside Shopping Centre located on the outskirts of London, England."Nickelodeon Branded FEC Coming to UK's intu Lakeside Shopping Centre". Blooloop. May 13, 2016. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Unauthorized productions and events featuring the show's characters have attracted the attention of Viacom, the series' international distributor. In February 2016, several Greene King pubs in the U.K. scheduled breakfast events with costumed characters modelled after the pups. Viacom forced the chain to stop every event by threatening a lawsuit if they went ahead.Sutherland, Emily (February 15, 2016). "Greene King: Kids 'meeting with PAW Patrol characters' cancelled due to Nickelodeon legal threat". Morning Advertiser. William Reed Business Media. There was some consumer backlash as a result, but the events weren't held.Parry, Josh (February 13, 2016). "Parents angry after Nickelodeon 'force pub to cancel unofficial PAW Patrol event'". Liverpool Echo. Trinity Mirror. Release Broadcast The series has been sold to TV networks in over 160 countries."Spin Master Announces Acquisition of Swimways Corporation and Establishment of Outdoor Business Segment". PR Newswire (Press release). August 2, 2016. In Canada, the series is shown on TVOntario, Knowledge Network, Télé-Québec and City Saskatchewan. As required for Canadian programs aired on federally-funded networks, PAW Patrol has been dubbed in French for Quebec broadcasts and for its broadcast in France on TF1."Rentrée des classes 2016 : quels dessins animés regarder avant de partir à l'école". Le Figaro (in French). Dassault Group. August 9, 2016. Canal Panda airs a European Portuguese dub."Patrulha Pata Microsite". Canal Panda (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on August 22, 2015. A British English dub, which uses the same scripts as the Canadian version with minor changes, is shown on Channel 5."Pups Save the Penguins - Channel 5". Channel 5. Viacom International Media Networks Europe. December 22, 2015. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Anione, JEI TV, and KBS have all broadcast the Korean-dubbed version."퍼피 구조대 Puppy Patrol". Spin Master (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. The show has been aired in the Icelandic language on Iceland's public broadcaster RÚV since 2015."Hvolpasveitin á RÚV". RÚV (in Icelandic). Government of Iceland. Archived from the original on December 30, 2015. The first two seasons were shown in Finnish on Yle TV2."Ryhmä Hau Maanantaisin, Yle TV2 - Yle Areena 14". Yle TV2 (in Finnish). Yle. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. The video on demand platform LeEco obtained broadcast rights for a Mandarin Chinese-dubbed version of PAW Patrol in April 2016.Milligan, Mercedes (April 29, 2016). "APOS News Round-Up". Animation Magazine (in Mandarin Chinese). In July 2016, film distribution company Notorious Pictures acquired the rights to an Italian theatrical release of the series."Brief - Notorious Pictures buys distribution rights for 6 new episodes of cartoon series PAW Patrol". Reuters. July 28, 2016. Six episodes of PAW Patrol are set to be screened as a package film in select Italian cinemas from December 22, 2016 until January 8 of the following year."Notorious Pictures acquista i diritti per la distribuzione cinematografica di 6 nuove avventure di "PAW Patrol"". La Stampa (in Italian). July 28, 2016. Sabahat Khan, of Spin Master partner RBC Capital Markets, has stated that he "wouldn't be surprised by a American feature film down the line." DVD releases Reception Ratings PAW Patrol has received consistently high ratings on Nickelodeon. Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman cited the series as a source of Nickelodeon's 2014 ratings growth.Barnes, Brooks (January 30, 2014). "Viacom Quarterly Profit Rises 16%, Lifted by Cable Fees and Lower Costs". The New York Times. It ranked as the highest-rated, preschool TV program in the United States in November 2013"'PAW Patrol' Renewed for Season Two by Nickelodeon". TV by the Numbers. November 14, 2013. and held that position throughout the spring 2014 season."Kidscreen: Smart TV, building momentum" (PDF). Kidscreen. Brunico Communications. May 1, 2014. The spot was briefly overtaken by Team Umizoomi reruns in July 2016, but PAW Patrol reclaimed the title later the same month."Nickelodeon Scores 52 Straight Weeks at Number One and Wins the Month of July with Kids 2-11, Kids 2-5". PR Newswire (Press release). August 2, 2016. Bloomberg L.P. described PAW Patrol as part of a "creative resurgence" that increased the Nick Jr. channel's viewership in 2016.Palmeri, Christopher; Shaw, Lucas (February 4, 2016). "Dauman's Done the Easy Part. Now He Has to Find Viacom Some Hits". Bloomberg L.P. At Nickelodeon's 2016 upfront presentation for future advertisers, Cyma Zarghami named PAW Patrol one of two preschool shows to have significantly helped boost ratings for the network (the other being Blaze and the Monster Machines).Steinberg, Brian (March 1, 2016). "Nickelodeon to Revive 'Legends of the Hidden Temple' as TV Movie". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. In March 2015, two back-to-back premieres of the show ranked among the top twenty weekday showings (among total viewers) in Australia.Knox, David. "Tuesday 17 March 2015 Ratings". TV Tonight. In May 2015, it was reported that PAW Patrol broadcasts on TF1 had been viewed by 45 per cent of households in France with preschool-aged children. Critical reception Common Sense Media reviewer Emily Ashby gave the show a four-star rating, stating that "perhaps the show's best attribute is how it demonstrates the value of thoughtful problem-solving".Ashby, Emily. "PAW Patrol TV Review". Common Sense Media. Randy Miller of DVD Talk recommended the show, calling it "packed with all the harmless action and cornball jokes that kids...can't help but snicker at".Miller, Randy (March 1, 2016). "PAW Patrol: Brave Heroes, Big Rescues". DVD Talk. Stuff.co.nz reviewer Pattie Pegler also wrote favourably of the series, but felt that some of the characters "seem rather arbitrary, like Rocky the Recycling Pup".Pegler, Pattie (May 4, 2016). "TV Review: Jake and the Neverland Pirates, PAW Patrol". Stuff.co.nz. The About Group's Carey Bryson gave the series a mixed review, criticizing its "formulaic" nature but affirming that the "show is not without funny moments". A research study, commissioned by Sky in March 2016, reported that 16 per cent of surveyed British and Irish children named PAW Patrol as their favourite program."Scooby-Doo voted the nation's all time favourite kids TV show". Sky plc. 29 April 2016. Criticism has been directed toward the show's team of dogs, which only includes one main female. Cat Conway of Dan Abrams' The Mary Sue rhetorically asked, "the police pup, firefighting pup, builder pup, sea-rescue pup, and whatever the hell Rocky does are all coded male, because of course you couldn't have a female police dog, could you?"Conway, Cat (July 29, 2015). title=Quit Pushing Your Gendered Crap on My Son "Quit Pushing Your Gendered Crap on My Son". The Mary Sue. Dan Abrams. Brandy King of the Center on Media and Child Health "found the gender imbalance immediately noticeable" while watching the program.King, Brandy (January 8, 2015). "Media Moment: What I Learned from (Paw)-Patrolling My Kids' TV Show". Center on Media and Child Health. Today's Parent noted in April 2015 that PAW Patrol images appeared frequently on Twitter with the hashtag "#IncludeTheGirls".Waverman, Emma (April 16, 2015). "It's ridiculous that in 2015 we need #IncludeTheGirls!". Today's Parent. Rogers Media. Accolades In 2014, the series' theme song was nominated for Outstanding Original Song – Main Title and Promo in the 41st Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards."Daytime Emmy Awards 2014: Complete list of winners and nominees". The LA Times. In 2016, the season two episode "Pups Save a Mer-Pup" was nominated for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children in the 43rd Annie Awards.""PAW Patrol: Pups Save a Mer-Pup" - 43rd Annual Annie Awards". AnnieAwards.org. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Later the same year, PAW Patrol received two nominations at the 4th Canadian Screen Awards,"TVO Receives 28 Nominations for the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards". TVO.org. winning one of them."Second night of 2016 Canadian Screen Awards recognizes more talent". Tribute.ca. Trivia *Despite being a Canadian show, it was first shown on August 12, 2013 in the United States. References External links *''PAW Patrol'' at CartoonNetwork.com *''PAW Patrol'' at Kids WB.com *''PAW Patrol'' at the Internet Movie Database *''PAW Patrol'' at TV.com Category:Television series Category:2013 television series debuts Category:2010s television series Category:Computer-animated television series Category:Television shows about dogs Category:Nick Jr. shows Category:Films, TV Shows And Wildlife Wiki